The Ghost in the Shell Trailer Promises a New Era of Cyberpunk Anime Action
A new trailer for THE GHOST IN THE SHELL is bringing Major Motoko Kusanagi back into action ahead of the franchise’s highly anticipated return next month.
Set to premiere July 7 on Prime Video, the new anime series comes from acclaimed studio Science SARU and marks the latest adaptation of Shirow Masamune’s influential manga. The fresh footage places viewers inside a sleek, hyper-connected vision of 2029 Japan, where corporate networks span the planet, cyborg technology has reshaped daily life, and threats can emerge from anywhere in the system.
At the center of the story is Motoko Kusanagi, the full-body cyborg leading an elite combat team alongside longtime ally Batou. When Kusanagi’s group is recruited by Ministry of Internal Affairs official Daisuke Aramaki, they become Public Security Section 9—an offensive task force known as Shell Squad, created to strike before new dangers can escalate.
Their first major case brings the team into contact with an elusive hacker known as the Puppet Master. The trailer hints at high-level cybercrime, international conspiracies, and the psychological uncertainty surrounding an adversary whose motives remain just out of reach. In its final moments, the preview also teases the Puppet Master’s unsettling philosophy on human evolution and identity, setting up the kind of existential questions that have defined the series for decades.
Alongside rapid-fire combat sequences, cybernetic imagery, and a closer look at the members of Section 9, the footage makes a strong case for the series’ promised “new era of cyberpunk action.” It also suggests an adaptation interested in returning to the sharp, playful visual energy of Masamune’s original manga while keeping its larger ideas intact.
Mokochan directs the series, with Godzilla Singular Point writer EnJoe Toh handling series composition and scripts. Shuhei Handa serves as character designer and chief animation director, while Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi, and Yuki Kanesaka compose the score. The ending theme, “Blue,” comes from MILLENNIUM PARADE featuring Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar.
THE GHOST IN THE SHELL begins streaming globally on Prime Video July 7.
